NFL Player News

Cook (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday.

On the heels of logging a 'DNP' on Wednesday, Cook is trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins after returning to a capped session one day later. The Bills' top RB now will have one more chance to upgrade his participation level before the team assigns Week 10 injury designations Friday.

Barkley (groin) is taking part in Thursday's practice, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Barkley appeared to tweak his groin on a 28-yard run late in the third quarter of the Eagles' Week 8 win over the Giants and didn't return to the contest, though that may have had more to do with Philadelphia holding down a comfortable lead. With the Eagles going on bye for Week 9, Barkley appears to have just about put the groin injury behind him, though it won't be known whether he was a full or limited participant in Thursday's session until the team releases its first Week 10 practice report later in the day. Assuming Barkley practices fully at some point Thursday through Saturday, he'll likely head into Monday's game at Green Bay without an injury designation.

Swift (groin) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

A limited participant Wednesday as the Bears kicked off Week 10 prep, Swift's upgrade to full activity a day later puts him on track to return to action Sunday against the Giants. While Swift was out for his first game of the season in the Bears' 47-42 win over the Bengals last weekend, Kyle Monangai (ankle) stepped in as Chicago's lead back and racked up 198 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 29 touches. Swift should return to a starting role in Week 10, but he may be at risk of ceding more work in the wake of Monangai's breakout performance. Bears head coach Ben Johnson may favor a timeshare approach to the backfield in an effort to keep both backs fresh, as Monangai joined Swift as a limited participant in Wednesday's session before practicing fully Thursday.

Stevenson (toe) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Stevenson was present for the media-access portion of the session, but he was merely observing from the sideline while his healthy teammates took part in practice. With two straight absences to kick off Week 10 prep, Stevenson appears to be facing an uphill battle to suit up Sunday at Tampa Bay. If Stevenson ends up missing a second straight game, the Patriots would presumably once again lean on TreVeyon Henderson as their top back, while Terrell Jennings would handle a complementary role.

Dowdle (quadriceps) stretched before Thursday's practice and appears poised to take part in drills, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Dowdle sat out Wednesday's session due to a quad injury, but the fact he had a helmet after stretching indicates at least individual work is on the table for him. He resumed a workhorse role during this past Sunday's win at Green Bay, even with Chuba Hubbard available, taking 25 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns and catching two of three targets for 11 yards. Meanwhile, Hubbard had just five carries for 17 yards and didn't haul in his only target. Thursday's practice report will reveal if Dowdle indeed progressed to being a limited participant.

Cook (ankle) was present for Thursday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Cook didn't practice Wednesday due to a listed ankle issue, but the running back's return to the field a day later is a positive indicator with regard to his Week 10 availability. The Bills' next injury report will clarify Cook's official participation level Thursday.

Chubb (foot) returned to practice Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After missing Wednesday's session, Chubb's return to practice a day later is an encouraging development regarding his chances of being available Sunday against the Jaguars. The Texans' upcoming injury report is slated to reveal Chubb's official participation level Thursday.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that Lloyd (hamstring) recently headed to the West Coast to continue his rehab program, but the running back is without a clear timeline to return from injured reserve, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

LaFleur noted that Lloyd headed out West to "get his body right" and added that the "results were promising," but he didn't expand much further on the second-year running back's outlook. At this stage, Lloyd doesn't look to be especially close to practicing, making it likely that his absence extends into late November, if not December. A third-round draft pick in 2024, Lloyd has appeared in just one game thus far during his time with the Packers, as he missed the majority of his rookie season while recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries as well as an emergency appendectomy.

Irving (foot/shoulder) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Despite the benefit of a Week 9 bye, Irving has yet to show any tangible sign of progress as he rebounds from a shoulder subluxation and a left foot sprain. He's now sat out both of the Buccaneers' first two practices of the week and appears to be trending toward a fifth consecutive missed game Sunday versus the Patriots. Irving's expected absence will continue to pave the way for Rachaad White to lead the Tampa Bay backfield, with Sean Tucker handling a secondary role.

Marks could be in position for more touches Week 10 pending the status of Nick Chubb (foot), who did not practice Wednesday.

Chubb's status is something to monitor in the days leading up to Sunday's contest against the Jaguars. With starting quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) ruled out, the Texans are expected to lean on their ground game Week 10, which means Marks could see an increased workload should Chubb join Stroud on the inactive list. It's unclear when Chubb sustained the injury; he played well into the fourth quarter last week before Marks handled the team's final possession in a loss to Denver. Marks has been allotted double-digit touches in four of the last five games and has been dual threat (21 targets, 13 catches) out of the backfield during his rookie season.